Knoxville Rugby Hosts National Qualifying Tournament

July 1, 2016 1:07 PM

Knoxville, Tennessee- The 40thAnnual Tennessee 7’s Tournament will be held at Tennessee Rugby Park on July 9th, 2016. The tournament includes brackets for men and women. There is a social division as well as a premier division for the men. Teams participating in the premier bracket will be fighting for a bid to the South Conference Championships, and eventually, a national championship. The tournament, however, goes beyond the teams on the field.

Off of the rugby pitch, there will be food available from the Atomic City BBQ food truck and rugby merchandise will be for sale. Half-time of the tournament will feature a match between Knoxville’s Rookie Rugby teams. Rookie Rugby is a rugby equivalent to flag football. It teaches young players the fundamentals of the game while minimizing the risk of injury to the kids. “Rookie Rugby is great for the community. Parents love getting involved and it keeps the kids active. It is also great for the future of rugby as it grows in Knoxville and across the country,” said Bobby Hampstead, Rookie Rugby Coordinator.

The tournament will end with a trophy ceremony featuring custom plasma-cut trophies provided by Legend Fitness. The festivities will continue for all participants over the age of 21 with a Pub Crawl in the Old City featuring discounts and admission provided by Carleo Entertainment. Teams will also be able to get discounts at area restaurants and hotels to accommodate them for the weekend.

Jonathan Towe, Tournament Director believes the day goes beyond rugby. “It’s going to be a great weekend from start to finish. A lot of the men and women of the Knoxville Rugby Clubs have put a lot of work into making this event great and making sure it benefits not just the teams, but the Knoxville Community. We encourage everyone to come out for a full day of rugby and check our website for tournament updates”